Winemaker Notes
Medium garnet with crimson hues. Lifted aromas of red plum, red currant, blue and black berries, rose hip and black pepper, with notes of bay leaf, sage, crushed flowering herbs, anise and hints of cedar. The palate is rich and plush, deep and concentrated with layers of spicy red cherry and red currant, interwoven with anise and vanilla. Balanced acidity gives freshness and poise, finishing with elegant, velvety, fine-grained tannins for a long fruit-driven finish.
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Eden Valley shiraz from estate vines, planted in 1968 and matured in 10% new oak (95/5% French/American) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending. Notes of mulberry, blueberry and redcurrant flit above the bass tones of dark and black berries, cut with spice, licorice, dark chocolate, sage and a scattering of brambly, briar-like notes. Graceful red fruits and spice feature on the palate which, like all Henschke wines, shows detail and elegance with perhaps a little more red fruit coming through. The balance and clarity of form impresses greatly.
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James Suckling
A juicy and savory red with plum, chocolate, hazelnut, and walnut aromas and flavors. Medium to full body and creamy tannins. Juicy and balanced. Meat and chocolate. Molé-like. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Glass stopper.
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Decanter
The epitome of elegance with its sheen of silky, pure red fruits and lissome acidity, in 2017 this Eden Valley Shiraz is closer to Adelaide Hills geographically and in spirit. Medium-bodied, the beguiling strawberry and plum palate is delicately scented with pink peppercorn, coltsfoot, pine needle and black pepper. Subtle undertones of moss, twig and wattleseed draw you in further. Drinking beautifully now, with soft grainy tannins to the finish and lingering spice.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from 55-year-old Shiraz wines, Wheelwright needs a good decant before revealing its charms. Once aerated, it offers plump cherry and raspberry aromas underpinned by savory, peppery spice and a whisper of dried potpourri-like florals. A lick of vanillin oak supports. The palate is rich and round, supported by chalky, muscular yet fine tannins that weave the plummy fruit and peppery spice together. Drink 2025–2035.
Cellar Selection
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Higher in elevation and topographically more dramatic than the Barossa Valley floor, Eden Valley abuts it to its south and east. While it is a bit of an extension of Barossa, Eden Valley is topographically different than the pastoral Barossa Valley, and is composed of rocky hills and eucalyptus groves.
Recognizing Eden Valley’s potential with Riesling in the 1960s and 70s, producers started to move their Riesling production from Barossa to these better sites where schist soils on hilltops would produce more steely, tart and age-worthy examples. A most famous site, planted by Colin Gramp, called Steingarten, today produces one of the most outstanding Australian Rieslings. Youthful Eden Valley Rieslings express floral, grapefruit and mineral, while with time in the bottle, they become increasingly toasty and complex.
Riesling isn’t the only grape the region can grow; undeniably at lower altitudes Shiraz does very well. Mount Edelstone is a notable vineyard as well as the Hill of Grace, which boasts healthy Shiraz vines well over 100 years old. This is the only Australian region where Merlot has a made a name for itself and Chardonnay can be spectacular, particularly from the High Eden subregion in the southern valley.